Bittersweet
by Eaglehaze
Summary: Dustsky has been ridiculed her whole life, has been put down, made fun of, been laughed at and has had her life made a misery, all because of one cat. When a forest fire rages and that same cat must be rescued, will she help? Or leave her for dead?


Dustsky crouched outside of the warrior's den, her dusty brown tabby fur smoothed down, dark blue eyes semi closed as she soaked up the sun. She'd just come back from a hunting patrol, having brought back only a single mouse, but pleased nonetheless. Her quiet purr was cut off as sneering sounded in front of her, and she snapped her head up to see Pinefrost, chatting to her small group of friends, Nightfur and Thorntail.

Dustsky's pelt bristled, a knot of hatred twisting in her stomach. She couldn't stand to see her, sitting there, chatting like nothing was wrong. She hated her, from the black and grey pelt to those pine green eyes. Her name suited her. She was as cold as frost.

Whenever she set eyes on the dark she cat, she was instantly thrown back to when she was a kit. She'd always been carefree, happy to play with the other kits and simply be young. Then Pinekit came along. A few moons younger than herself, but still the downfall of her life. She would sneer and glare, laugh behind her back, spread lies, gradually taking away the cats that she thought would stand by her until the end.

This continued into apprenticeship. She was always better at everything. Always two steps ahead. Somehow, Dustsky would always get paired with her, and somehow, her face would always end up in the dirt.

More than that, her actions were backed up. Most of the things she said were based on the truth, which for some reason made it acceptable to chat about behind her back, to shove Dustsky's insecurities back in her face.

Pinefrost was simply perfect. She was pretty, skilled and popular, everything one needs to live in a Clan. Dustsky was the opposite, her dusty fur never really complimenting her, she wasn't too skilled, perhaps save for climbing which isn't useful anyway, and perhaps the least popular cat in the Clan.

Even now, five moons after becoming warriors, Pinefrost persisted. She continued to make her life a misery, every opportunity. She would laugh at every mistake she made and was always sure to announce to the Clan whenever she would slip up.

Dustsky was suddenly thrown out of her dark thoughts as she saw something rising over the tree tops, at first a wispy grey before turning black. Dustsky tilted her head in confusion, having never seen this sort of occurrence before, deciding to go and see what it was. She got to her paws and trotted out of camp, refusing to so much as look at Pinefrost on the way out.

As she walked, leaves crunched underfoot, stream-beds now dry, not a drop of water in sight. _This drought's been going on for a while,_ _it had better rain soon._ As she neared the source, an acrid smell washed over her, bitter followed by the sound of crackling and immense heat. Dustsky's eyes widened in fear as it dawned upon her. _Fire! How did that not occur to me?! The Clan's probably already evacuating and I was the one fool who ran after a fire!_

She turned on her heels, pelting back through the forest. Her eyes widened as a black shape appeared in front of her and blocked her way, forcing her to skid to a halt. "Where're you going in such a hurry?"

Dustsky scowled, _I've not got time for this! I need to make sure the Clan knows!_ "Look, I've not got time for this." She snarled, attempting to push her way past, but was again blocked. "Is that how you talk to me? I'm sorry, I don't think I phrased that right," Pinefrost snarled, green eyes blazing. "You left camp in a hurry and now you're running as though your life depends on it. W _hat. Are. You. Doing?_ "

"Stop acting like you own me!" The brown tabby snarled, forgetting the imminent danger as red covered her vision. "You go around treating me like scum and making my life a misery for your own amusement!"

"Well maybe you should up your game and stop being so pathetic!" Pinefrost growled, shoving Dustsky so hard she fell back with a thud against the base of a tree. She shook her head to stop it from spinning and looked up to see Pinefrost with her face close to her's, a snarl twisting her features. She opened her mouth to say something before the sound and smell of the fire finally washed upon them. Being upwind as they were, they hadn't scented it and as they had been arguing, they hadn't heard it.

Without a word, Dustsky scrabbled to her paws and raced back towards camp. She kept her ears angled back to listen out for Pinefrost, but no paw steps thudded behind her. She skidded to a halt and looked back, but the dark she cat was no where in sight. She debated whether to turn back, but the Clan was more important. She turned and raced the rest of the way back to camp.

It looked like they were already evacuating, the Clan leader, Redstar, and the deputy, Bluestorm, were helping to evacuate the Clan out of the back, warriors carrying kits and helping queens and elders to escape The Medicine Cat, Lightfeather, was helping the sick and injured out while her apprentice, Stormpool, carried bundles of herbs, helped by another apprentice.

Dustsky was met with Nightfur and Thorntail, their eyes wide with worry. "Where's Pinefrost? She went out looking for you and she's not come back." Nightfur asked worriedly.

Dustsky scowled. _I bet no one would care if they couldn't find me._

"She should be back soon. We scented the fire and I ran on ahead. If she's not coming then it's her own problem." She replied, ignoring how bad that sounded. _She's still my Clanmate. I shouldn't say things like that._

Thorntail snarled. "Don't you _dare_ talk about her like that!" He spat. "She's more useful than you are! And you're going to go and get her back!"

"Why don't you?" Dustsky countered. "Since you care so much!"

"Unlike you, we _are_ useful. We're helping the Clan to evacuate." Thorntail stated matter-of-factly.

"Well better get back to it then." Dustsky replied coolly. Thorntail shot her a glare but turned on his tail and went back to help the Clan. Nightfur shot her a rather apologetic look before returning to help the larger kits to escape.

Dustsky looked back to the forest and her eyes widened when she saw how close it had come. The fire was now rising much closer, the smoke washing over the camp. _Great,_ now _we're downwind._

Swallowing her fear, Dustsky plunged through the entrance, trying to breath in as little smoke as possible as she ran, flames burning around her. _I must be mad! Why am I doing this? I don't even like her!_ She headed towards where she and Pinefrost had argued, eyes narrowed against the smoke, doing her best to stay as far away from the flames as possible while still keeping on track.

It was difficult to make out the she cat's dark fur against the smoke, but she soon found her, huddled up on the ground, her pelt shaking in fear, eyes squeezed shut. Despite it all, Dustsky felt a hint of sympathy for the younger she cat.

That didn't make her like her any more though.

Roughly, she grabbed her scruff and tugged. "Come on or we'll both be burned alive!" She growled, voice muffled by the mouthful of fur.

Pinefrost didn't move or even make a sound. Dustsky snarled, spitting out the fur. "Look, we've got to go!" Flames were beginning to close in around them, the heat unbearable, burning her without even making contact. "Hurry up or I'll drag you back myself!"

Pinefrost turned terrified eyes on her, ears flattened against her head. Dustsky would have rolled her eyes had the situation not been so dire, and grabbed her scruff again, yanking her to her paws. As soon as she let go Pinefrost darted away towards the nearest opening in the flames. Dustsky ran to intercept her. "Not that way, _this_ way, now move!" She snapped, pushing her towards camp. Pinefrost didn't move, her eyes widening. Dustsky felt her heart plummet as she spotted a wall of flames where the path was.

"Follow me." Dustsky yelled over the ear-splitting crackling of the flames, racing towards the nearest opening, relieved to hear Pinefrost following this time. She went through every opening she could, gradually making her way back to camp. She yelped as she trotted on cinders but kept moving, racing back to camp. Worry filled her eyes as she saw it engulfed in flames and kept darting through the gaps in the fire, Pinefrost still on her tail, skirting around the camp.

Finally, the end to the flames. They burst through the trees but didn't stop. _The Clan. I've got to find them._ Letting out a hacking cough, she doubled over, her eyes streaming as they stung from the smoke, her lungs burning. She glanced back at Pinefrost, who was again huddled to the ground. Dustsky let out a deep breath before shoving her along, doing her best to find the trail of the Clan, but it was swallowed up in the smoke.

They kept going until finally cats came into view. Climbing up a steep slope, they collapsed at the top. Dustsky let out another hacking cough, letting herself go limp.

Dustsky woke again to find herself in a mossy nest, a warm mouse beside her and a soaking ball of moss. She lapped from it, trying to relieve the thirst that stung her throat, to no avail, before digging into the mouse. She glanced up, expecting to see Lightfeather or Stormpool, but instead saw Pinefrost.

She would have growled had her throat allowed it, but Pinefrost didn't look threatening. In fact, she looked pathetic. She was sitting up in her own nest, looking back at her. "Why?" She croaked.

"What?"

"Why would you do it?" Pinefrost repeated, her voice raspy from the smoke. "You were right, I _do_ make your life a misery. Why would you save me?"

"You wouldn't have needed saving had you only followed me back." Dustsky replied, her throat screaming in protest.

Pinefrost flattened her ears. "I froze. Guess I don't really like fire very much." She added in a feeble attempt at humour, but Dustsky stayed in stony silence. "Thanks, I guess." Pinefrost got to her paws and headed over to their Clanmates. With a sigh, Dustsky finished her mouse before curling up again, drifting into sleep once more.

* * *

 _Clan of Clouds Challenge: Bittersweet or just Bitter?_


End file.
